Pilot Whale - Whale Facts and Information Pilot Whale Pilot Whale – genus Globicephala Description Pilot Whales are dark black in color most of the time. Some of them are a dark gray. There are two species of the Pilot whale, but it is often very hard to tell them apart. They generally both get lumped into this basic category. One has a short fin while the other features one that is long. These whales are very large, and only the killer whale is bigger than they are. Males are the largest with a length of up to 25 feet and they can weigh as much as three tons. The females only weigh about half of that and they can be up to 16 feet in length. Behavior You may not get to see the Pilot Whale as often as other species. This is because it tends to stick to the deeper waters. They have been praised for their extremely high level of intelligence. They are said to be very easy to train and they are also social creatures. They often form groups of more than 100 in them. They have been found from time to time in large groups on the beaches. It is believed this is due to an infestation of parasites that affects the brain’s ability to stay on course.

Diet/Feeding The Pilot Whale has quite a selection when it comes to the foods they eat. Their diet includes squid, octopus, herring, and various small fish. They tend to prefer the squid though so that is the primary food source if it is readily available for them. They eat about 70 pounds of food daily which is very little compared to other types of whales their size. Observation of the Pilot Whales indicate that they work together in order to get the food that they want. Engaged in a type of high pitched whistle, they will create a circle that seems to mesmerize the prey and then they can consume it with ease. Distribution There is nowhere you won’t find the Pilot Whale. In fact, they are believed to be the most distributed whale in the world. They enjoy both the tropic and the temperate waters. Generally you will find those with the shorter fins in the warmer waters. The two types of physical characteristic Pilot Whales tend to stay separate from each other. Sometimes they do cross paths though during the migration process. Short Finned Pilot Whale Distribution Long Finned Pilot Whale Distribution Reproduction Females mature faster than the males at about 9 years of age.

For the males it is around 15 years old. The process of mating takes place after aggressive acts from the males with each other. This includes shocks melon to melon in order to get the attention of the females around them. The calves emerge about 4.7 feet long and weighing just over 135 pounds. They will receive milk from their mothers for almost two years. Some Pilot Whales observed have been noted to nurse a calf for up to 10 years. This is quite puzzling to researchers. They believe it may have something to do with the older females. They may do this with their last offspring. Human Interaction The Japanese tend to savor the meat from the Pilot Whale so it often fall victim of their whaling efforts. Since Pilot Whales travel in large groups the easily fall victim to whaling. There are complex set ups that move an entire group of them towards the beach so that they can be killed. Conservation Pilot Whale is considered as “data deficient” species in the Red List of Threatened species. They seem to do extremely well in captivity which can be a huge benefit if some severe forms of conservation need to take place later on.

Categories Pilot Whale | American Cetacean Society American Cetacean Society Globicephala melaena (long-finned) & Globicephala macrorhynchus (short-finned) CLASS: Mammalia GENUS: SPECIES: The pilot whale, like the killer whale, is a member of the dolphin family, and is second only to the killer whale in size. Displaying intelligence equal to that of the bottlenose dolphin, the pilot whale is easily trained. One captive pilot whale named Morgan was trained by Navy scientists to retrieve beeper-attached objects from the ocean floor at depths of over 1,600 feet. Carrying a clamping recovery device in his mouth, he attached it to the located object, which was then raised to the surface by compressed air balloons. The pilot whale is extremely social, and is well known for stranding in groups of a few animals to several hundred at a time. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The pilot whale has a distinct rounded head with a very slight beak and an up-curved mouthline. In males the rounded head may protrude up to 4 inches over the lower jaw.

Its body is long and stocky, narrowing along the caudal peduncle (tailstock). Surface Characteristics COLOR Generally all black to coal gray, the pilot whale has a white or light gray anchor-shaped patch on its ventral (bottom) surface. The short-finned pilot whale has a faint gray saddle patch behind the dorsal (top) fin. FINS ANd FLUKE Its prominent dorsal (top) fin is located on the forward part of its back, and is falcate (strongly curved) with a long base. Its flippers are sickle shaped and, in the long-finned pilot whale, very long. LENGTH AND WEIGHT Males are much larger than females. Adult males measure up to 20 feet (6.1 m) and weigh up to 3 tons. Adult females measure up to 16 feet (4.9 m) and weigh up to 1.5 tons. FEEDING The pilot whale feeds primarily on squid, although it's known to eat octopus, cuttlefish, herring and other small fish when squid is unavailable. It has only 40 to 48 teeth, compared to 120 in many other dolphin species.

This may represent an evolutionary trend toward fewer teeth in squid eaters. Its teeth are used only for catching/grasping. An adult pilot whale may eat up to 30 pounds per day. In Newfoundland, pilot whales have been seen hunting in groups to help concentrate their prey. One pod was observed entering a bay in a line, slowly closing the line into a circle, and trapping the prey in the center. Powerful high-pitched whistles appear to be involved in coordinating this activity. MATING AND BREEDING Males reach sexual maturity at about 15 to 16 feet (4.6 m) and 12 years of age. Females reach sexual maturity at about 12 feet (3.7 m) and 6 to 7 years of age. Gestation lasts approximately 12 to15 months and calving occurs once every 3 to 5 years. Calves are generally 6 feet (1.8 m) at birth, and weigh about 225 pounds. The calf nurses for up to 22 months, with some evidence for longer lactation and extensive mother calf bonds. Most calves are born in the summer, though some calving occurs throughout the year.

The males may compete for mates with fights involving butting, biting, and ramming. Mating also involves these activities, and some females carry scars from bites inflicted by males during the breeding season. Females have been observed to have calves as late as 35 years old, and lactate as late as 51. This evidence indicates that females may nurse their last calf until puberty (up to 10 years in males). Range Map DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION In general, pilot whales are found in both the northern and southern hemispheres, in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. Short-finned pilot whales tend to be found in warmer waters, while cold and more temperate waters are preferred by the long-finned variety. There are some areas of overlap between the two species, but they remain segregated in most areas. NATURAL HISTORY Pilot whales are very social, and are most often found in groups of 20 to 90. Within these groups are at least some stable associations, usually between related females and their offspring. There are usually some males in these groups, but genetic evidence has shown that these males are not the fathers of the calves in the group.

Several calves in one group may be fathered by the same male, indicating that a male can enter a group for a brief period and mate with more than one female. Partly because of their social nature, pilot whales are often involved in mass strandings. In this century, mass strandings of as many as several hundred pilot whales at one time have been recorded. Although no one knows why these beachings occur, some may result from persistence to keep the group together. Other reasons may involve mis-navigation when following prey, when traveling (possibly due to irregularities in the magnetic field), or possible parasitic infections resulting in neurological disorders. STATUS Figures for both species of pilot whales are unknown, and even though they are depleted in some areas, pilot whales are not considered to be endangered. There are likely to be almost a million long-finned pilot whales and at least 200,000 short-finned pilot whales worldwide. Humans have taken advantage of the social nature of pilot whales. "Drive fisheries," where groups are herded to the beach for slaughter, have taken place on Cape Cod, Newfoundland, the Faroe, Shetland, and Orkney Islands, Iceland, and Norway.

The whales have been killed for meat, bone, fertilizer, and oil. In some places, such as the Faroe Islands, the kill continues today despite an obvious decrease in whale numbers. One drive fishery in Newfoundland killed over 50,000 whales between 1951 and 1961, rapidly decreasing the number of pilot whales in Newfoundland waters. Other kills have not had such a drastic effect. Pilot whales are also being used by man as exhibition animals. They are displayed in many aquariums and zoos. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bernard, H.J. and Reilly, S.B. (1999). Pilot whales. In: Handbook of Marine Mammals (S.H. Ridgeway and R. Harrison, eds.), volume 6. Academic Press, London. Pp. 245-279. Olson, P.A. and Reilly, S.B. (2002). Pilot whales. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (W.F. Perrin, B. Wursig, and J.G.M. Thewissen, eds.). Academic Press, New York. Pp.

898-903. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: We greatly appreciate the knowledge and assistance of Kate Sardi and Mason Weinrich, both of the Whale Center of New England, who contributed to the revision of this fact sheet. Illustrations courtesy Uko Gorter, copyright© 2002, 2006 all rights reserved. FACT SHEETS MAY BE REPRINTED FOR EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES What's the difference between dolphins and porpoises? Home Ocean Facts What's the difference between dolphins and porpoises? What's the difference between dolphins and porpoises? Dolphins and porpoises differ in their faces, fins, and body shapes. Dolphins have longer noses, bigger mouths, more curved dorsal fins, and longer, leaner bodies than porpoises.The Northeastern Offshore Spotted Dolphin, shown here, has a falcate, or sickle-shaped dorsal fin and light spotting on the belly. People use the terms dolphins, porpoises, and whales to describe marine mammals belonging to the order Cetacea (from the Greek work ketos, “large sea creature”), and often use them interchangeably.

The orca, or killer whale, for example, is actually the largest member of the dolphin family. Dolphins are by far more prevalent than porpoises. Most scientists agree that there are 32 dolphin species (plus five closely related species of river dolphin) and only six porpoise species. The harbor porpoise has small pointed flippers and no beak. The dorsal fin is small and triangle-shaped. So what’s the difference? It essentially comes down to their faces (who can forget Flipper’s famous “grin”?), their fins, and their figures. Dolphins tend to have prominent, elongated “beaks” and cone-shaped teeth, while porpoises have smaller mouths and spade-shaped teeth. The dolphin’s hooked or curved dorsal fin (the one in the middle of the animal’s back) also differs from the porpoise’s triangular dorsal fin. Generally speaking, dolphin bodies are leaner, and porpoises’ are portly. Dolphins are also more talkative than porpoises. Dolphins make whistling sounds through their blowholes to communicate with one another underwater.

Scientists are pretty sure that porpoises do not do this, and some think this may be due to structural differences in the porpoise’s blowhole. Dolphins and porpoises have many similarities, one of which is their extreme intelligence. Both have large, complex brains and a structure in their foreheads, called the melon, with which they generate sonar (sound waves) to navigate their underwater world. It is likely that more (or fewer) differences between dolphins and porpoises will be revealed as researchers continue to investigate these intriguing sentinels of the sea. Search Our Facts Find Out About The Gulf of Mexico's Marine Mammals The Gulf of Mexico's Marine Mammals There are 29 marine mammal species found in the Gulf of Mexico, which are listed below in alphabetical order by their common names. Click on the link of the mammal that interests you and you will receive some background information on the species including their abundance, behavior, description, and distribution. Source of information: Carwardine, Mark. Eyewitness Handbook Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises.. 1995. Leatherwood, Stephen and Randall R. Reeves. The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins.

1983. Wynne, Kate and Malia Schwartz. A Guide To Marine Mammals & Turtles of the U.S. Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico. 1999. e-mail suggestions or questions to Pod - What Is a Pod Pod Pod Definition of the Term Pod, as Used in Marine Life A pod of orca (killer) whales come to the surface on a calm day in Lynn Canal, Inside Passage, Alaska, near Juneau. John Hyde / Design Pics/First Light/Getty Images By Jennifer Kennedy Updated September 30, 2015. A pod is a group of animals, such as whales or dolphins. This gathering of animals may also referred to as a group, school, herd, or (more traditionally) a gam. Uses of the Terms Pod, School and Group The terms pod and school are sometimes used interchangeably, but sometimes they are used to distinguish between groups of aquatic mammals and other organisms. Since the word school is traditionally used to refer to a group of fish, many people use the term pod to make the distinction that whales are mammals, not fish.

Then again, in some references, a school refers to a large group of whales or dolphins, while a pod is a smaller group of animals within that larger group. According to the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, a pod refers to a group of whales in a specific species - the killer whale, or orca. The authors define a pod as a group of resident killer whales that are closely related matrilines (a line of individuals descended from a single female) that regularly associate with each other. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Examples of Marine Animals that Gather in Pods Assuming you use the term pod to refer to a group of cetaceans, several species regularly gather in pods. The term pod is most often used to refer to t oothed whales ( odontocetes ), many of whom seem to live in a stronger social structure than baleen whales. Odontocete species with well-studied pod structures include: Sperm Whales Bottlenose Dolphins Pilot Whales Depending on the species, these groups may or may not include related individuals.Killer and pilot whales are a species in which the individuals in a pod are related. Why Do Animals Gather in Pods?

Defense An advantage of being in a pod is that the animals can better defend themselves against predators such as sharks and killer whales. In the open ocean, there's nowhere to hide. But by gathering together with other whales, each individual has less of a chance of being selected for attack by a predator. Also, the presence of many whales can confuse a predator and make it difficult for the predator to single out any one animal. Animals in the center of a pod will also benefit from being shielded from predators by those on the outside of the pod. In some whales, like killer and sperm whales, weaker or younger animals may be protected inside the pod, while the stronger members of the pod defend them against predators. Sperm whales employ this strategy. These animals can undertake long feeding dives. Calves, which are still nursing and can't hold their breath as long, are left at the surface, but the adults take turns diving so that the calves are never left wholly unprotected. If a calf is threatened, the adults may gather in a circle around it, with their heads facing the calf and their tails facing the predator. Feeding Animals may also form pods to better enable them to hunt prey.

For example, when preying upon a large whale, a small group of killer whales would be more successful than a single individual. Dolphins hunting fish may work together to herd the fish toward the surface or into a shallow area. Once the fish are all gathered together, the whole pod can partake in the feast. Avoiding Harassment Female dolphins may gather together to avoid harassment from males seeking to mate with them. Mating Pods may come together for mating purposes, especially in cases where animals traditionally gather in smaller pods - these smaller pods may join up with other pods periodically so that animals don't have to mate with members of their own pod. Pod Sizes Pods may contain anywhere from a few animals up to several thousand. The size of the pod may be determined by how the individualsa related, or by feeding needs. If a pod gets too large, the animals in the pod may not be able to find enough food. So the pod size may maximize at the point where animals aren't getting enough to eat. References and Further Information: Acevedo-Gutierrez, A. 2002. "Group Behavior." In Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B. and J.G.M. Thewissen.

Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press. Trillmich, F. "Sociobiology." In Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B. and J.G.M. Thewissen. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press. Annotated List of the Marine Mammals of the World Annotated List of the Marine Mammals of the World Nomenclature based largely on Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (eds.) (1993) Mammal Species of the World, Smithsonian Institution Press.

with additional information from Whales and Dolphins Balaena mysticetus Bowhead Whale Also known as Great Polar Whale or Arctic Whale or Arctic Right Whale or Greenland Right Whale or Greenland Whale Eubalaena australis Southern Right Whale Also known as Black Right Whale or Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis Northern Right Whale Also known as Black Right Whale or Right Whale or Biscayan Right Whale Eubalaena (glacialis) japonica Japanese Right Whale Separation fron Northern Right Whale uncertain Caperea marginata Pygmy Right Whale Eschrichtius robustus Gray Whale Also known as California Gray Whale or Devilfish or Mussel-digger or Scrag Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Minke Whale Also known as Pikehead or Little Piked Whale or Pike Whale or Little Finner or Sharp-headed Finner or Lesser Finback or Lesser Rorqual Balaenoptera borealis Sei Whale Also known as Pollack Whale or Coalfish Whale or Sardine Whale or Japan Finner or Rudolphi's Rorqual Balaenoptera edeni Bryde's Whale Also known as Tropical Whale Balaenoptera musculus Blue Whale Also known as Sulfur-bottom or Sibbald's

 Rorqual or Great Northern Rorqual Balaenoptera physalus Fin Whale Kogia breviceps Pygmy Sperm Whale Also known as Lesser Sperm Whale or Short-headed Sperm Whale or Lesser Cachalot Kogia simus Dwarf Sperm Whale Also known as Owen's Pygmy Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Sperm Whale Also known as Great Sperm Whale or Cachalot Delphinapterus leucas Beluga Also known as Belukha or Sea Canary or White Whale Monodon monoceros Narwhal Also known as Narwhale Berardius arnuxii Arnoux's Beaked Whale Also known as Southern Four-toothed Whale or Southern Beaked Whale or New Zealand Beaked Whale or Southern Giant Bottlenose Whale or Southern Porpoise Whale Berardius bairdii Baird's Beaked Whale Also known as North Pacific Four-toothed Whale or Northern Four-toothed Whale or North Pacific Bottlenose Whale or Northern Giant Bottlenose Whale or Giant Four-toothed Whale Hyperodon ampullatus Northern Bottlenose Whale North Atlantic Bottlenosed Whale or Flathead or Bottlehead or Steephead Hyperodon planifrons Southern Bottlenose Whale

 Antarctic Bottlenosed Whale or Flathead Mesoplodon species 'A' Unamed Beaked Whale Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby's Beaked Whale Also known as North Sea Beaked Whale Mesoplodon bowdoini Andrews' Beaked Whale Also known as Splay-toothed Beaked Whale or Bowdoin's Beaked Whale or Deepcrest Beaked Whale Mesoplodon carlhubbsi Hubbs' Beaked Whale Also known as Arch-beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris Blainville's Beaked Whale Also known as Atlantic Beaked Whale or Dense Beaked Whale or Tropical Beaked Whale Mesoplodon europaeus Gervais' Beaked Whale Also known as Gulf Stream Beaked Whale or European Beaked Whale or Antillean Beaked Whale.

Mesoplodon ginkgodens Ginko-toothed Beaked Whale Also known as Japanese Beaked Whale or Ginko Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon grayi Gray's Beaked Whale Also known as Scamperdown Whale or Southern Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon hectori Hector's Beaked Whale Also known as New Zealand Beaked Whale or Skew-beaked Whale. Mesoplodon layardii Strap-toothed Whale Also known as Layard's Beaked Whale or Strap-tooth Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon mirus True's Beaked Whale Also known as Wonderful Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon pacificus Longman's Beaked Whale Also known as Pacific Beaked Whale or Indo-Pacific Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon peruvianus Lesser Beaked Whale Also known as Peruvian Beaked Whale or Pygmy Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon stejnegeri Stejneger's Beaked Whale Also known as Saber-toothed Beaked Whale or Bering Sea Beaked Whale or North Pacific Beaked Whale. Mesoplodon shepherdi Shepherd's Beaked Whale Also known as Tasman Whale or Tasman Beaked Whale.

Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier's Beaked Whale Also known as Cuvier's Whale or Goose-beaked Whale or Goosebeak Whale. Feresa attenuata Pygmy Killer Whale Also known as Slender Blackfish or Slender Pilot Whale. Globicephala macrorhynchus Short-finned Pilot Whale Also known as Pothead Whale (!) or Shortfin Pilot Whale or Pacific Pilot Whale. Globicephala melas Long-finned Pilot Whale [Formally Globicephala melaena] Also known as Pothead Whale (!) or Caaing Whale or Longfin Pilot Whale or Atlantic Pilot Whale. Orcinus orca Killer Whale Also known as Orca or Great Killer Whale or Grampus. Peponocephala electra Melon-headed Whale Also known as Melonhead Whale or Many-toothed Blackfish or Electra Dolphin. Pseudorca crassidens False Killer Whale Also known as False Pilot Whale or Pseudorca. Delphinus delphis Common Dolphin D. d. delphis -- Short-beaked Common Dolphin D. d. capensis -- Long-beaked Dolphin Taxonomy very complex and many authors consider the Long and Short-beaked forms to be different species.

Also known as Saddleback Dolphin or White-bellied Dolphin or Criss-cross Dolphin or Hourglass Dolphin or Cape Dolphin. Lissodelphis borealis Northern Rightwhale Dolphin Also known as Pacific Rightwhale Porpoise. Lissodelphis peronii Southern Rightwhale Dolphin Also known as Mealy-mouthed Porpoise. Sotalia fluviatilis Tucuxi Also known as Estuarine Dolphin. Sousa teuszii Atlantic Hump-backed Dolphin Also known as Atlantic Humpback Dolphin or Cameroon Dolphin. Sousa chinensis Indo-pacific Hump-backed Dolphin Closely related to Atlantic Hump-backed Dolphin and may form one species. The name Speckled Dolphin given to animals west of Sumatra. Stenella coeruleoalba Striped Dolphin Also known as Euphrosyne Dolphin or Whitebelly or Blue-white Dolphin or Meyen's Dolphin or Gray's Dolphin or Streaker Dolphin. Also known as Short-snouted Spinner Dolphin or Helmet Dolphin or Senegal Dolphin Stenella longirostris Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin Also known as Longsnout or Spinner or Long-beaked Dolphin or Rollover.

Stenella attenuata Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Also known as Spotted Dolphin or White-spotted Dolphin or Bridled Dolphin or Spotter or Spotted Porpoise or Slender-beaked Dolphin. Stenella frontalis Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Also known as Spotted Porpoise or Spotter or Bridled Dolphin or Gulf Stream Spotted Dolphin or Long-snouted Dolphin (formally Stenella plagiodon). Steno bredanensis Rough-toothed Dolphin Taxonomy complex. May involve several distinct species. Also known as Gray Porpoise or Black Porpoise or Bottle-nosed Dolphin or Cowfish Cephalorhynchus commersonii Commerson's Dolphin Also known as Skunk dolphin or Piebald Dolphin or Black-and-white Dolphin or Jacobite or Puffing Pig. Cephalorhynchus eutropia Black Dolphin Also known as White-bellied Dolphin or Chilean Dolphin or Chilean Black Dolphin. Cephalorhynchus heavisidii Heaviside's Dolphin Also known as South African Dolphin or Benguela Dolphin. Cephalorhynchus hectori Hector's Dolphin Also known as Little Pied Dolphin or New Zealand Dolphin or New Zealand White-front Dolphin.

Grampus griseus Risso's Dolphin Also known as Grampus or Gray Grampus or Gray Dolphin or White-head Grampus. Lagenodelphis hosei Fraser's Dolphin Also known as Sarawak Dolphin or Shortsnout Dolphin or Bornean Dolphin or White-bellied Dolphin or Fraser's Porpoise. Lagenorhynchus acutus Atlantic White-sided Dolphin Also known as Jumper or Spinger or Lag or Atlantic White-sided Porpoise.

Lagenorhynchus albirostris White-beaked Dolphin Also known as White-nosed Dolphin or Squidhound or White-beaked Porpoise Lagenorhynchus australis Peale's Dolphin Also known as Blackchin Dolphin or Peale's Black-chinned Dolphin or Southern Dolphin or Peal's Porpoise Lagenorhynchus cruciger Hourglass Dolphin Also known as Wilson's Dolphin or Southern White-sided Dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens Pacific White-sided Dolphin Also known as Lag or Pacific Striped Dolphin or White-striped Dolphin or Hook-finned Porpoise Lagenorhynchus obscurus Dusky Dolphin Also known as Fitzroy's Dolphin Orcaella brevirostris Irrawaddy Dolphin Also known as Snubfin Dolphin Inia geoffrensis Boto Also known as Amazon River Dolphin or Pink Porpoise or Pink Dolphin Lipotes vexilliferBaiji Also known as Yangtze River Dolphin or Beiji or Pei C'hi or Whitefin Dolphin or Whiteflag Dolphin or Chinese River Dolphin Platanista minor Indus River Dolphin Also known as Indus Susu or Blind River Dolphin or Side-swimming Dolphin. Platanista ???

Ganges River Dolphin Also known as Ganges Susu or Gangetic Dolphin or Blind River Dolphin or Side-swimming Dolphin. Potoporia blainvilleir Franciscana Also known as La Plata Dolphin. Neophocaena ohocaenoides Finless Porpoise Also known as Black Porpoise (!) or Black Finless Porpoise or Jiangzhu. Australophocaena dioptrica Spectacled Porpoise Also known as Puffing Pig or Common Porpoise. Phocoena sinus Vaquita Also known as Cochito or Gulf of California Porpoise. Phocoena spinipinnis Burmeister's Porpoise Also known as Black Porpoise (!). Phocoenoides dalli Dall's Porpoise Also known as Spray Porpoise or True's Porpoise or White-flanked Porpoise.

Pinipeds - Fur Seals, Sealions, Walrus and Seals Arctocephalus australis South American Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri New Zealand Fur Seal Arctocephalus gazella Antarctic Fur Seal Arctocephalus philippi Juan Fernandez Fur Seal (ENDANGERED) Arctocephalus pusillus South African Fur Seal Arctocephalus townsendi Guadaloupe Fur Seal (ENDANGERED) Arctocephalus galapagoensis Galapagos Fur Seal Arctocephalus tropicalis Subantarctic Fur Seal Callorhinus ursinus Northern Fur Seal Also known as Pribilof or Alaskan Fur Seal Neophoca cinerea Australian Sealion Phocarctos hookeri New Zealand Sealion Otaria byronia South American Sealion Zalophus californianus Californian Sealion Dolphins in Hawaiian Culture Dolphins in Hawaiian Culture Mahealani Kuamo'o-Henry Pahoa, Big Island: My name is Mahealani Kuamo'o-Henry. And I am kanaka maoli, cultural teacher and Hawaiian spiritual Kahu-priestess.

My Hawaiian ancestors and 'ohana members today freely interact with our ocean 'aumakua, and yes, they are 'aumakua to us, guardians and guides, our family, our ocean family. In 1820 there was a huge, huge movement in our Hawaiian landscape. In 1820, from that period on, many of my people had practices that we did prior to 1820. We swam -- yes, we swam --with our ocean family. They were so much a part of us. In my 'ohana alone, my mother comes from the Honu Clan. Absolutely. And my father with my grandfather, they used to have their canoes. They paddled their canoes and they called on the nai'a. The nai'a was part of our way for fishing as well, and for directing canoes. We are talking even way prior to that time frame. For those Hawaiians who do not have that kind of mo'olelo in their 'ohana today, it is not your fault that you do not have this memory, because in 1820, with the coming of the missionaries, so many of our Hawaiian practices were deleted, were placed aside.

Please know, please know, that our ocean family, our ocean 'ohana, our 'aumakua still live within the hearts and practices of many, such as myself, who have received not only the personal experience but also the mo'olelo that was passed on from one generation to another that was not banned in certain 'ohana, and certainly not in mine. So I simply ask you, please, aloha, aloha yourself, aloha our 'ohana of the ocean, and let's put together in one mind of aloha the kapu, if you will, certain conscious, conscious, means of education for protocol with our, our, 'ohana from the ocean. Mahalo. Star Newland, Big Island: I noticed when my Hawaiian ohana spoke about their cultural interactions with the dolphins, with the nai'a, they have yet to mention the use of the historical and cultural tradition to birth with them in the oceans. We know this goes back, at least the last recorded one -- actually, I met a man on Oahu who he, himself, was born with the dolphins in Kauai, his children were born, his grandchildren were born, and even before him they were born with the nai'a.

Doug Hackett.Big Island; When we showed up we were very, very interested in learning about the Hawaiian culture and the Hawaiian traditions. So one of the first things I did was I signed up for a lecture by Kahuna Lanakila Bryant about the Hawaiian aumakuas, because I wanted to learn about the aumakua. In particular, I was most interested in how the nai'a, the dolphins, fit into the Hawaiian - - traditional Hawaiian culture. To my great surprise, he didn't address the nai'a at all in talking about any of the aumakua. So after the meeting I was very, very interested, and I asked him, what about the nai'a, you know, what about the dolphins. He said, they're not an aumakua, they are not one of the Hawaiian aumakua. I said, well, how could that be when they seem to be a very important part. He said, well, they showed up a little later. They just weren't included. They weren't part of the Hawaiian tradition. I was very surprised about that. So I said, well, what do you feel about us swimming with the dolphins.

He said, well, it's your choice. I personally don't recommend it, he says, but it's your choice. Maggie Connor - visitor I count myself fortunate, to even be able to see the dolphins just from the shore. These pods, if you were here 15 years ago -- and I know some of you are born and raised here. Uncle Alena was telling me, you know, what's this word pods. I never even heard of pods. With us, the dolphins numbered in the thousands. I mean, can you imagine? In the thousands. Damien Kenison, Hookena Beach I speak for my wife and her family, the Kalina Alani Ohana (phonetic), who have lived here for generations, who have fished there and lived off the land and who never once bothered the nai'a. Not once. Michael Salla I was very touched to hear some of the representatives from the Hawaiian community. I don't know too much about the Hawaiian culture so it was very good to hear what they had to say about their attitudes towards the dolphins. I've worked with indigenous communities in different parts of the world; Australia, Sri Lanka, East Timor.

So I well know indigenous communities often do represent cultures that go back many centuries. But I also know that indigenous communities are not uniform. They have many diverse opinions in them. We heard from Doug Hackett that some indigenous Hawaiian community leaders do have very different attitudes toward swimming with dolphins. Marie Burns Honaunau, I have heard a lot of you guys lie to point out your facts. You exploit the culture. You lie about the culture. Believe it or not, Auntie that came in here, I don't know where she's from, but I'm from that ahupua'a. I'm from this island. She's another person who's using the Hawaiian culture as a Hawaiian coming in here and saying stuff. But the reality is that's not what was happening at Honaunau Bay. Maybe it happened elsewhere, but not at Honaunau Bay. Not in Puna, either. Because maybe if you -- well, maybe at Kehena, but that's fine. That's her thing. Mikahala Roy, Kona and Oiwi The nai'a and sea creatures longstanding in the waters of Hawaii are among our ohana.

,..as an Oiwi of Hawaii, and at the same time a member of the larger Pacific ohana, know that there is a name Teohanaonanaia. ...This name means, the family of the nai'a. ...The name infers strong connection between the people and the nai'a. The nai'a are members of the family of Oiwi, people of the bones of our ancestors of these lands. The nai'a are esteemed, beloved family to us, and the relationship between they and our original people perhaps needs to be fully discovered, like the relationship of the stars to the lands in our Pacific and in our Hawaii. They are highly placed -- the nai'a are highly placed in a pantheon that only some of us may understand at this time. Perhaps this hierarchy of spirit is the reason that human beings of all racial backgrounds may be able to tell about our brothers and sisters, the nai'a. Dolphin Legends in Hawaii (excerpted from Serge Kahili King) There aren't any, or are there? Although there are many mysteries and strange happenings to be found in these beautiful islands, one of the most mysterious and strange is the fact that there are no traditional dolphin stories.

There are two names for dolphins given in the Pukui-Elbert dictionary: nai'a and nu'ao, neither of which are easy to understand (one of these is translated as "porpoise," but "porpoise" and "dolphin" are commonly used interchangeably, even though, technically, there are no porpoises in Hawaiian waters). Nai'a quite possibly simply means "sea creatures" (na = plural, i'a = fish or any sea creature). Nu'ao has tantalizing roots that could mean "whistling multitude," but that's a stretch. <I think that is a perfect name for a large pod of vocalizing dolphiins! Not a strecth at all... editor> Even more curiously, all the <human interaction> behaviors have been attributed to a different sea creature in Hawaiian legends. So I have a theory. In all the books I have read about Hawaiian legends and mythology, there are numerous references to sharks, but none to dolphins. This has always struck me as rather strange, but it was not until I read a shark story in "Myths and Legends of the Polynesians" by Johannes C.

Andersen that I got my first clue as to why this might be so. In a story from Mangaia, the most southerly of the Cook Islands, the goddess 'Ina (the equivalent of the Hawaiian Hina) is using a shark to help her with various tasks when she cracks a coconut open on the shark's forehead, and this is why, in the words of the story, "From that day there has been a protuberance on the forehead of all sharks, known as the 'bump of 'Ina'." Well, in spite of what the story says, sharks do not have bumps on their foreheads, but dolphins do. In re-reading all the shark stories I could find I noticed a large number of behaviors described that are characteristic of dolphins, but not sharks. My conclusion is that the most common word for a shark, which is mano in Hawaiian, was originally a generic term that included both dolphins and sharks, and that for some unknown reason translators applied it only to sharks. Mano is always translated as "shark," even though one type of shark that, by Hawaiian tradition.

rested its head on the bow of a canoe and was fed and loved by fishermen, was called mano ihu wa'a, which means "Mano with a beak like the prow of a canoe." If my theory is valid, then there are many dolphin stories in Polynesian legends. Dolphins are just traveling through the literature disguised as sharks - and maybe laughing about it. <What do you think?> "The melon-headed whale was originally identified in Hawai‘i. The first account of the species is from Hilo Bay, Hawai‘i in 1841 where approximately 60 animals were driven ashore and harvested for their meat and oil (Wilkes 1845). According to Wilkes, “the moment a school of porpoises is discovered, it is their usual practice to drive them in” referring to native Hawaiians.

This drive fishery is contrary to some beliefs that native Hawaiians held dolphins to be sacred and did not hunt them." Jessica Aschettino in "POPULATION SIZE AND STRUCTURE OF MELON-HEADED WHALES (PEPONOCEPHALA ELECTRA) AROUND THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: EVIDENCE OF MULTIPLE POPULATIONS BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHIC DATA" Hawaiian Newspaper Translation Project: Fisheries Historical accounts translated from Hawaiian to English "This is something amazing that took place here in Kahana on Friday, the 14th of December, 1837. I went to Ka‘a‘awa at ten o‘clock and I stayed there until late afternoon, around three o‘clock. I returned from Ka‘a‘awa and reached Makaua. The men, women and children weren‘t there.

I asked two elderly women sitting in the house, “Where are all of your people?” “They have all gone down to look at the fish.” I asked again, “What kind of fish?” They responded, “Dolphins.” Then my feet swiftly carried me down to Pu‘uomahia where I watched the canoes, crowded with people, catching the fish in the ocean. Men, women and children were grabbing fish; a strong man would get 12 fish, a weaker man, 8 fish, a very weak man, 4 fish, a strong woman, 6 fish, a weaker woman, 3 fish, and a very weak woman, 1 fish, a strong child, 4 fish, a weaker child, 2 fish, and a very weak child, 1 fish. Here is where they were speared, the snout, the dorsal fin, and the tail, those are the places where those large fishes were speared. Some were 7 feet long, some 6 feet in length, and up to 3 feet in circumference at the widest point. Here is the count of these fish, there were 206 that were killed. The people ate the meat.

Another benefit gotten from these fish is oil. Pots, jars, and bamboo containers were filled, which are our lamps that we are burning. The people chopped the dolphins up until they were exhausted, dogs came and ate, and pigs came and ate. The sea, the three rivers, and even the plains were filled with the stench. That is my friendly thought for all of us. By me, NAILI"

Question: 'Pilot', 'Melon' and 'Strapped-Toothed' are types of which sea creature?
Answer: WHALE